MUSIC REVIEW: Tuba and quintets sparkle in Chamber Soiree

Enjoying the full Sarasota Orchestra in concert is an entirely different experience from the up-close thrill of recent Chamber Soiree concerts in Holley Hall. Soiree 2 Thursday afternoon promised "Quintets and Tuba" with the Sarasota Brass Quintet, Sarasota Wind Quintet, and long-time star favorite, the tuba virtuoso Jay Hunsberger.

The good music making started with a lively performance of Jan Bach's Rounds and Dances for brass quintet. Inventive and aurally engaging, these five dance movements proved to be a challenge for the Sarasota Brass Quintet despite their pleasing blend. With star billing, right off the bat Hunsberger's smooth tuba moves drew the focus of most ears in the hall as he performed with his brass colleagues: Michael Dobrinski, Greg Knudsen, trumpet; Laurence Solowey, horn; and Brad Williams, trombone.

The Sarasota Wind Quintet followed with a superb performance of the Carl Nielsen Wind Quintet, Op. 43. It's a staple of their repertoire for good reason. Each musician in this ensemble -- Betsy Traba, flute; Nicholas Arbolino, oboe; Bharat Chandra, clarinet; Fernando Traba, bassoon; and Joshua Horne, horn -- evoked the landscape of Nielsen's world with security, precision, and flights of fancy as ordered by the score.

Then we have the highlight, a performance of David Carlson's Tuba Concerto featuring Jay Hunsberger's astounding range and virtuosity with a collaborative chamber ensemble of double string quartet, bass, and harp. While not the world premiere, a performance earlier in the year at which I was present, this ensemble today played with commitment and consummate skill, revealing a far more polished new gem to enjoy in a tuba concerto like none other.

Commissioned by Jon Partridge for his partner, Hunsberger, the concerto benefited from close collaboration as the three considered the larger character of the final work as well as the technical demands required to highlight the limitless possibilities of the tuba in Hunsberger's hands.

Carlson's music is lush and colorful, rich in melody and inventive textures. The lyrical first movement, Andante affettuoso, drew on Hunsberger's delicious singing tone and legato lines traversing large intervals with silky security. The strings and harp blending crossing arpeggios and straight tones rose and fell like shimmering waves in the sun.

The second movement Allegro vivo in contrast set an energetic metric 2/2/3 pattern as the underpinning for a musical air of magic, even whimsy. Rising and falling intervals of thirds, quintuplet runs, high trills, and tight dynamic surges were tossed among the soloist and ensemble at varying points. Lively, good humored, the music bounced with colorful effects and rhythmic contrasts.

A hearty standing ovation greeted the musicians, among them some who are now anticipating a performance with soloist and full orchestra as originally intended. Anu Tali, can we hear it on a Masterworks program now?